A COMPREHENSIVE analysis of the National Cancer Database has shed light on how health insurance coverage contributes to racial and ethnic disparities in late-stage cancer diagnoses. The study, which included 1,893,026 patients aged 18-64 diagnosed between 2013 and 2019, focused on ten cancers known for their potential to be detected early through screening or clinical symptoms, such as breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
The findings indicate that uninsured individuals are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with stage III or IV cancer compared to their privately insured counterparts. Notably, disparities were evident among various racial groups: the study revealed that health insurance accounted for 4.5% to 29.1% of the differences in diagnoses between non-Hispanic Black and White patients across eight cancers. For Hispanic patients compared to non-Hispanic Whites, this figure ranged from 13.2% to 68.8% across six cancer types. Additionally, disparities between non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders and White patients were mediated by insurance status in three cancers, with mediation rates of 5.8% to 11.3%.
These results highlight the critical role that access to health insurance plays in cancer outcomes, suggesting that policy changes aimed at expanding coverage could help reduce these significant disparities. The study underscores the importance of addressing insurance-related barriers to ensure equitable healthcare access for all racial and ethnic groups.
Reference
Choudhury PP et al. Contribution of health insurance to racial ethnic disparities in advanced stage diagnosis of 10 cancers. JNCI. 2024.
